Africa: EU Seeks to Bolster Global Efforts Against Migrant Smuggling

European Parliament.Flickr
The European Union flag in the European Parliament in Strasbourg (file photo).
29 November 2023
Radio France Internationale
By Melissa Chemam With RFI

The European Union on Tuesday launched an international alliance to strengthen international cooperation against migrant smuggling. The move comes amid worsening conditions on migration routes towards Europe, especially through the Sahara and Mediterranean.

The Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling was announced in Brussels at a conference attended by 57 countries.

"We must unite to close the loopholes in national legislation and international systems and prevent this criminal trade in human lives," Council of Europe secretary general Marija Pejčinović Burić said at the event.

Plan of action

The EU Commission is proposing new legislation to fight migrant smuggling.

An action plan aims to guide EU member states in adopting measures to eliminate obstacles to the investigation and prosecution of migrant smugglers, while improving international information sharing and cooperation.

European leaders in May agreed on the Reykjavik Declaration that aims to both fight the trafficking of migrants while protecting those who risk being smuggled with "full respect for their human rights".

We will work together to:· Update EU legislation and apply the Protocol against migrant smuggling · Strengthen the role of Europol· Upgrade the European centre against migrant smuggling · Intensify cooperation with partner countries to tackle this issue globally pic.twitter.com/uJUMn9RA2y-- Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 28, 2023

Worsening issue

The European Commission has also voiced concern over a move by the junta rulers in Niger to scrap a law on migrant trafficking. It worries the move could increase the number of people trying to reach Europe illegally.

Junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani on Saturday signed an order repealing a 2015 law curbing the number of West African nationals travelling through the Sahara and then on to Algeria or Libya in a bid to eventually reach Europe.

"I'm very concerned about the situation now, and there is a huge risk that this will cause new deaths in the desert," European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said.

The law, arranged under Niger's deposed civilian government, had been backed by EU money and involved increased surveillance of the desert, which many migrants sought to circumvent by using more dangerous alternative routes.

The EU has said a drop in illegal migration from Tunisia causes an increase in arrivals from Libya.

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